Cancer drug helps treat tuberculosis by restoring leaky blood vessels

(Duke University) Researchers at Duke University have discovered that an FDA-approved drug designed to treat cancer helps fight tuberculosis in mouse models. The drug is an MMP inhibitor designed to increase the structural integrity of blood vessels in tumors so that other drugs can reach inside them. It performs the same function in the granulomas associated with tuberculosis so that antibiotics can reach the bacteria sheltering within.
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news